


Tortured Soul (Mistaken)

by Iluvbeyblade (Mazeem)



Category: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Beyblade
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brainwashing, Gen, Hypothermia, I wrote this when i was like 12 be kind, OCs - Freeform, all the usual other suspects lol, set during series 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-09-08
Updated: 2005-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26892568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazeem/pseuds/Iluvbeyblade
Summary: An argument with Tyson leads to horrific consequences for the Bladebreakers. Where has Ray gone, and is he even alive?





	1. Chapter 1

Ray stormed furiously through the ankle-deep snow that was just off the beaten track. He swore loudly as he tripped on a hidden tree root and nearly fell, the incident doing nothing to help his black mood. Muttering obscenities under his breath, he stomped onwards.

The Bladebreakers were having a break before the World Championships, to give them a chance to get used to being a proper team after the distressing fiasco with Black Dranzer. Surprisingly, it was Tyson who had come up with the idea of going hiking. Kenny had been very reluctant, but bribes of bringing Dizzi with him had helped soften him up a little. Max hadn't been too sure either, but Tyson had coaxed and cajoled until he gave in. Kai, as per usual, hadn't said anything other than to advise them to wrap up warm.

Ray had been very, _very_ unenthusiastic. He hated the temperature in Russia even indoors with the heating on, the idea of going outside for more than the two hours that they took out of every day to train was horrifying. It had been the new focus of the many loud, furious arguments between Tyson and him, the latest of which had sent him storming off the path in a flaming temper, screaming at anyone who tried to follow him. Kai had been the last one foolish enough to try and call after him.

"Be careful, Ray. Don't go too far from the path." In response, Ray had let loose a stream of expletives, ending in:

"I'll do what I want and the rest of you can just…go to hell!"

Ray shivered as he ploughed on. Although he was still angry, he wasn't blindly fuming anymore, and was beginning to doubt the wisdom of what he was doing. He fumbled around in his pocket and drew out Driger, his fingers clumsy, encased as they were in thick, fake-fur lined leather. His pride bolstered by the sight of the magnificent white tiger, he carried on, renewed anger warming him as he remembered the insults that Tyson had flung at his beyblading skills.

* * *

Max and Kenny eyed Tyson nervously as he stamped along the path, his navy-blue eyes glittering fiercely. The hot-tempered boy radiated an aura of fury. Even Kai was watching him warily.

"Ray is so…stupid!" Tyson muttered suddenly, his voice deliberately spiteful.

"I agree." Kai said curtly. Everyone swivelled round to face the leader, who stared back at them impassively. "Not because of any petty insults he may have seen fit to fling at you, Tyson, but because he shouldn't have gone off this path. If he doesn't keep within sight or sound of it then he could be lost within a few seconds." Kai's face was tight, his voice coming from between gritted teeth.

"What's the matter, Kai?" Kenny asked curiously.

"Yeah, why don't you go after Ray and find him?" Max butted in. Kai sighed.

"I would if I could. Oh, Mr Dickinson is going to kill me…"

"Why can't you?" Max continued recklessly.

"Do any of you think you know the way back to the lodge?" Kai's quiet voice hung in air suddenly as thick as treacle while all three of them tried to figure out the way back. Gradually, blushing varying shades of red, they shook their heads.

"I thought not. You wouldn't be much better off than Ray if I left you alone." They carried on walking for a few minutes, while the tension built in both Kai and Tyson. Out of the blue, Kai stripped off his bulky hiking coat and threw it at Max. "Kenny. Time me fifteen minutes. Don't move a muscle from here, understand? No one's saying I don't look out for my team…" The last sentence was delivered in a barely audible mutter as Kai slipped between the snow-laden trees, his scarf trailing loosely behind him. Uncertain and more than a little scared, Kenny and Max crowded round Tyson, who was staring after Kai.

* * *

Ray sat down, leaning against a damp tree trunk and closing his eyes as his quick, harsh breaths misted up the crisp air in front of him. The snow was deeper here, the branches too heavily laden for him to attempt to take the aerial route, as he would have done in China. His calves, unaccustomed to so much difficult, strenuous exercise, were aching badly, the muscles protesting against his treatment of them. He opened his eyes as a faint rustle sounded in the silent forest. Seconds later, Kai appeared, his face as mask-like as ever.

He walked over and crouched down beside Ray. Ray shifted uncomfortably under the leader's piercing, fiery gaze.

"Put your heel down first." Ray blinked, confused. "When you walk. Heel first. It'll ease the pressure on your calf muscles."

"Thanks." Ray said uncertainly. He didn't bother asking how Kai knew, as he knew from experience that he wouldn't get a decipherable answer. Sudden temper flared in him. "Why are you here?"

"To stop you from doing something you'll regret." Ray's eyes flashed, his slumbering temper fully awoken.

"Oh? Like what? Like gone and topped myself just because Tyson called Driger a mangy alley cat? Like quit the team? Well, sorry Kai, but I'm not that shallow!" Kai waited patiently until he was quite sure that Ray was finished.

"More along the lines of you getting hypothermia, as a matter of fact." he said calmly.

"You can't fool me, Kai! You can drop the act now, all right? There are no journalists swarming around anymore. You can go back to being a cold hearted, selfish bastard again, I won't tell." Ray gave him a thin, malicious grin. Kai's eyes flashed murder.

"I care about this team." he gritted out.

"Yeah, like you cared about Black Dranzer! The second we stop being useful to you, you'll drop us like a stone! Just like you did before." The fury blazing in Kai's eyes faded, replaced by something close to sadness.

"You're not yourself, Ray." he said quietly. He stood, staring down at Ray, his eyes cold again. "I should drag you back here and now." Ray was on his feet in an instant.

"Just try it, you selfish jerk!" he shouted.

"Oh, so you want to freeze to death?" Ray opened his mouth then closed it, momentarily taken aback. At the last second, when he was about to give in, he thought he saw a glint in Kai's eyes, a faint smirk on his face. Influenced by his own imagination, he stared back at Kai defiantly.

"If that's what it takes for you all to realise I'm part of this team as well." A fleeting look of puzzlement crossed Kai's face. Ray snorted bitterly. "Ask Tyson." He flinched backwards at the hard look on Kai's face.

"This is quite literally suicide, Ray. I can't let you go through with it."

"Why? Afraid it'll damage your reputation?" Ray jeered, adrenalin rising inside him. Anger contorted Kai's face and his hand clenched around something in his pocket.

Not doubting that Kai was about to use Dranzer on him, Ray sprung into action. He got a few seconds of run-up as he dashed towards Kai, then jumped and lashed out with his right foot, sending his heavy boot crashing into Kai's cheekbone. Kai swore loudly and grabbed hold of Ray's ankle, holding it tightly.

"Ray, see sense!" he gasped. "You don't know the first thing about survival out here. You'll die!" Ray heard him, but the words didn't sink in, kept floating by the tide of resentful anger flooding him.

"What do you care?" he panted maliciously. "It'll be one less competitor next time you leave us!" Kai froze for a second. That second was all that Ray needed.

Anger filling his head with a deep buzz, he twisted away from Kai and ran. Despairing of getting anywhere in the deep snow he grabbed a branch and swung himself up, uncaring of the dangerous strain his weight was putting on the branches. Functioning on adrenalin and a thousand slights, most of them imagined, he flung himself through the trees, deaf to Kai's yells.

Kai watched hopelessly as the boy travelled further and further away. His head ringing, he turned around to go back and tell the others that he had failed. Ray was alone, with the deadly Siberian tundra less than a mile away.

* * *

The three boys strained their eyes eagerly as a figure appeared from the trees a little way down. Kenny's face dropped.

"No Ray." he said softly. Everyone swallowed, fearful for their friend and team mate. Suddenly, they were jolted out of their thoughts as Kai fell to his knees.

"Kai!" The cry of concern burst from them all in unison and they ran to their fallen leader.

Kai groaned quietly and struggled into a sitting position. Unexpectedly, he felt three pairs of hands helping him. Three worried faces swam into hishazy vision.

"Kai, are you all right?"

"What happened?

"Where's Ray?" He opened his mouth to answer and shut it quickly, fighting a wave of nausea. Gingerly, he tried again.

"I caught up with him." Talking hurt, a lot, but it wasn't impossible, which meant that his cheekbone was probably still intact. "He took offence to something I said. We had an argument. He wouldn't let me take him back. I tried to use Dranzer and he panicked. He kicked me." He gestured vaguely towards the ball of blinding, sickening pain that was the right side of his face.

"Whoa…" Tyson breathed. Slowly, Kai stood, his head reeling as if he was drunk.

"We need to go back to the lodge and tell the rangers. It's out of our hands now." An uneasy silence settled over the group. "Let's go."

* * *

Max watched Tyson as he paced from one end of the room to the other, a hard look on his face.

There had been tension brewing between Ray and Tyson for months. Tyson had never really forgiven Ray for losing to Eddie in the American tournament and putting "our backs against the wall.", as he had said then. Yelled.

Ray had known this, and had treated Tyson with increasing dismissal, constantly reminding the boy that Driger's Tiger Claw had been legend before anyone even knew Tyson's name. It had got to the point where Max had almost wished that they'd beat the hell out of each other and clear the air. Instead, there had been steadily escalating rows, each nastier and more personal than the last. The argument that had caused this mess had brought into play Tyson's lesbian mother who had left his father when Tyson was just five, the fact that Ray was an orphan, Tyson being considered a clown by most of the fans, and the fact that Ray's own team had detested him so much they tried to steal his bit-beast. And that had just been the first ten minutes… Max sighed and started biting his nails. Kai hated him doing that, but Kai was lying down at the other side of the lodge, hopefully asleep, so he was allowed to do it. In his opinion, anyway.

"Are you angry with Ray, Tyson?" he ventured nervously.

"Yes." came the short answer. "He is so stupid! Why did he have to run off like that?"

"W-Would you still be angry with him if he came back?" Max whispered, biting a piece of loose skin off the side of his nail to keep his mind off what he was saying. He blinked in astonishment as a single tear slid down Tyson's cheek.

"No." Tyson whispered. "If he came back, I'd want to be friends again. There's no fun in arguing all the time." His face crumpled. "This is all my fault." Max kept quiet. Technically, Tyson was right, but Ray had never shied away from the rows, provoking one or two himself. They were both to blame. He stood up and embraced his friend comfortingly as Tyson's mask cracked and the boy dissolved into tears.

"It's all right, Tyson." he whispered. "At least you're not angry with him anymore."

_It's just a pity it took something like this to make you realise you were wrong._

* * *

Blind and deaf to everything except the blood pounding through his head, Ray flung himself through the branches, uncaring of where he was going. He didn't notice the sudden lack of trees, didn't hear the remaining branches creak, or feel the suspicious shakiness in the one he had just put his foot on. The first thing he knew was when it snapped and sent him tumbling into the waist-deep snow.

Dazed, he raised his head slightly and waited for the world to settle back into place again. Slowly, he sat up and stared in amazement at the expanse of whiteness before him, broken only by rocks. He remained seating, staring, for over ten minutes, slowly getting colder and colder. Eventually, he shook himself and struggled upright, shivering violently. As if hypnotised, he walked straight into the tundra.

Thoughts came sluggishly, if at all. He was walking mechanically, driven by some inner instinct that refused to let him stop and rest. The confused thought that maybe the coat was weighing him down floated slowly into his numbed mind. Obediently, he fumbled with the awkward zip and pulled it off, abandoning it on the snow. He caught his breath as the biting wind sliced through his exposed body. Slowly, he starting walking again, fighting the urge to lie down and go to sleep. Rebellious, sluggishly angry thoughts trailed into his mind and he began to run over every hurtful thing that Tyson had ever said to him.

Half an hour later, he sank to his knees, his breath coming slowly as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"Jus'…jus' a li'l rest…" he murmured through blue lips, his words slurred with cold and exhaustion. His body slumped to one side. His eyes closed. Vaguely, he felt himself begin to roll, over and over, tumbling down a slope to land with a crash at the bottom.

He lay still, unable to summon up the energy to move even his eyelids. The snow and ice seemed to have seeped into his very bones, freezing him from the outside. Defeated, he waited for blissful unconscious. Suddenly, Tyson appeared in front of him, superimposed on the blackness of his vision. He was sneering.

_What did I tell you, Ray? You can't fight. Not when it matters the most. You don't belong in the Bladebreakers._

_I don't belong in the Bladebreakers…_ A light clicked on in Ray's head. He really didn't. Kenny was in the team because when you got Tyson, you got Kenny tagging along, Max was in because his mum was someone big in the blading world, and Kai was in because Mr Dickinson thought that having the World Champion team's manager's grandson would give them an advantage. And where did he fit in? Nowhere. He was the odd one out, the person who had simply been in the right place at the right time.

 _You don't belong in the Bladebreakers!_ Tyson repeated mockingly. Ray struggled to form thoughts through the mist of unconscious that was spreading rapidly over him.

 _I don't…belong…in the Bladebreakers…_ With that last thought, he slid into oblivion.

* * *

Kai came through the doorway, looking if possible even worse than he had before he "went to sleep".

"Any news?" he asked instantly. Tyson and Max shook their heads. Kenny made a non-committal noise. "What are you doing, Chief?"

"Tracking the search progress." Kenny answered distractedly. "No luck in the woods. They think he's gone into the tundra." Kai swore loudly enough to make Max wince.

"Don't, Kai!" he protested. "I've already had Tyson dying the air blue for the past three hours!" Kai grunted something that could just about pass for an apology. For once, Dizzi was silent, seeming to realise that this was too serious a situation to be defused by bad jokes.

A ranger came through the door, coated in snow. Seeing the four expectant gazes on him, he shook his head, dislodging a clump of snow. He said something in Russian. Kai let out a sigh and nodded in resignation.

"They've had to call off the search. There's a blizzard out there."

"So?" Tyson snarled. "What's a bit of snow and wind got to do with anything?"

"If they stayed outside, they could be in much the same plight as Ray in half the time. Blizzards are lethal to go out in." Kai said tonelessly.

"I don't care!" Tyson screamed. "Tell them to get out there and keep looking!" Eyes wild he turned to the ranger and yelled at him furiously. "Coward! Afraid of a little wind? Ray could be dying out there, you-"

"That's enough." The tone in Kai's voice brooked no argument. Heedless, Tyson carried on ranting.

"I can't believe that you would be so heartless! Isn't your job to help people who get lost? Fine job you're doing-"

"I said that's enough!" Tyson reeled back, his cheek scarlet from Kai's slap. Kai's blazing eyes met his. "These people are trying their best, Tyson, but they have to put their own safety first. Yelling at them does not help!" He muttered a curt apology to the ranger, who mumbled something along the lines of "don't worry about it". The man turned to Tyson and spoke in heavily accented, broken English.

"You upset about your friend. I understand. We are doing our most best to find him, I am assuring you." Tyson nodded shortly, fighting to keep his emotions under control.

"When will Mr Dickinson be here?" Kai asked Kenny brusquely.

"About five minutes or so." Kenny answered. Max couldn't hold back a slight smile as Kai and Tyson both started pacing at exactly the same time. It soon faded though, as he looked out the window and saw the world transformed to a wasteland of swirling white flakes.

"Oh, Ray," he murmured softly. "Come back to us."

"Please." Kenny added in a whisper, exchanged a miserable glance with Max and returned to Dizzi to re-inform Mr Dickinson of the situation.

* * *

True to form, five minutes later, Mr Dickinson stepped through the door, covered from head to toe in snow. Within seconds, Max had scrambled off the bench and flung himself at the old man. He embraced him tightly, tears trickling down his cheeks. Mr Dickinson rested a hand on Max's head comfortingly, then stretched out his other arm, inviting everyone else into the embrace. Kenny looked up, saw Mr Dickinson, and flew into his arms, crying silently. With both his arms wrapped around the younger team members, the white-haired old man looked sadly towards the two older ones, neither of whom had acknowledged his existence. Finally, Kai looked up from his pacing and nodded a swift greeting. Silence fell as they all waited for Tyson to recognise their chairman. Without looking up, Tyson changed the direction of his pacing and stopped just in front of Mr Dickinson, raising a tear-stained, fearful face to meet the old man's searching gaze.

"It's…it's all my fault, sir…" he said haltingly. Shaking his head firmly, Mr Dickinson dislodged Max and Kenny and put one hand on each of Tyson's shoulders, forcing the guilty, frightened boy to look straight at him.

"No, Tyson." he said gently. Tyson's eyes widened in surprise.

"But, sir-"

"No buts, Tyson, my boy. It's true that you shouldn't have argued with Ray, I'm not denying that. The disagreement between you two went much too far, especially when it started over such a simple thing as the loss of a battle. But, Tyson, but," He raised a hand to silence Tyson's protests. "It was not entirely your fault. If Ray had reacted differently, if he had swallowed his pride and returned, if he had listened to Kai instead of flaring up, then the outcome would have been so much different. You would still have exactly the same amount of blame to carry, but you wouldn't find it so heavy, would you?" Tyson shook his head mutely. "Ray took everything the wrong way today, and that is what has caused this mess. Do you understand me, Tyson Granger?" His eyes, normally cheerfully twinkling, had hardened with the intensity of what he was saying. "Well?" He shook Tyson gently.

"Yessir." Tyson whispered. Max sighed inwardly in relief as he saw a little of the hard, miserable look leave Tyson's face. Mr Dickinson pulled the boy to him in a swift, warm embrace. Letting go, he met Kai's gaze.

"What I just said applies to you as well as Tyson, Kai." he said sternly. "You can't carry the world on your shoulders forever. How many times have I told you that?" Kai shrugged, rubbing his temples lightly. His right cheek was adorned with a multicoloured bruise, spreading from the corner of his eye to his jawbone, livid against his ashen skin.

"Did you go to sleep at all?" Kenny asked suddenly, his tone scolding. Kai shrugged again. To everyone's surprise, Mr Dickinson stepped forwards and put his arm tightly around the tall, muscular boy. To everyone's utter shock, Kai didn't push him off. In fact, he leaned his head against the old man's shoulder and closed his eyes. They stayed like that for a few minutes, during which Tyson recovered enough of his normal spirit to think; _where's a camera when you need one?_

Gently, Mr Dickinson lowered the by now semiconscious boy onto the bench that Max had recently vacated. "Kai, you are a very stubborn boy." he said quietly. Kai flipped him the finger and settled into a more comfortable position. A small smile crept across Mr Dickinson's face and he sighed softly. Sitting down next to Kai, he beckoned for the other boys to gather round. "So, boys, there are some things we need to discuss."

"Like what?" Max said fearfully.

"Like whether we're still going to compete in the World Championships." Kai said drowsily, opening his eyes.

"I thought I told you to go to sleep?"

"Well, you shouldn't have started a conversation that I need to be part of." Kai retorted, rubbing his eyes. He sat a little more upright. "Well?" Four blank faces looked at him and Mr Dickinson.

"I don't get why we have to discuss this." Tyson moaned. "I mean, the tournament's over a month away. Ray should be back by then." Kai winced at Tyson's ability to block out everything except what he wanted to hear.

"Tyson," Mr Dickinson began carefully. "There's something you need to understand. All of you." He looked at the three boys. "There is a chance, a large chance, that Ray isn't going to be coming back."

"In other words," Kai said brusquely. "Ray might well be dead for all we know." Silence enveloped the room. Mr Dickinson shot Kai a reproachful glance.

"Kai is right." he said reluctantly. "But, even assuming that they find Ray, he's bound to be in dire need of hospitalisation, and I highly doubt he'll be in any state to fight in a month's time. So, this is an issue that we need to resolve relatively quickly. What do you all think?"

Max's first, overwhelming reaction, was to say "No," to yell it at the top of his voice until his throat was raw. If they fought without Ray, he would have to step in, and without a bit-beast, he couldn't last more than a few seconds against someone like Tala. Of course he wanted to become one of the World Champions, but not when he knew that he had no chance, that he was going up to fight with no hope of winning. What kind of a battle was that?

"No." he said softly, shaking his head vigorously. "No, no, no, no, _no_!" His voice rose steadily and cracked on the final "no".

"Okay," Kai said calmly. "that's Max's opinion. Anyone else?" Tyson and Kenny shrugged.

"We need a bit more time." Kenny said in a faintly apologetic voice.

"Just out of interest, Kai," Tyson asked, staring at their leader intently. "What would you choose?"

"I would choose to fight." Kai retorted, without the slightest hesitation.

"Big surprise there." Tyson muttered, turning away to stare silently out of the window. Kai shot him a tired glare and got up unsteadily.

"Where are you going, Kai?" Max asked.

"We need to phone the White Tigers and inform them of Ray's disappearance." he answered, striding over to the phone. Much to everyone's surprise, Kenny stood up and intercepted Kai, taking the phone out of his trembling hands.

"Oh no, you don't. You shouldn't even be conscious." he scolded. "I'll do it. I'm the only one apart from Ray who knows the number, anyway." Grumbling quietly, Kai allowed Kenny to guide him back to his seat. "Okay." Kenny swallowed. "Any volunteers for taking the phone off my hands if Mariah answers?" No one moved a muscle. Even Mr Dickinson tried not to blink. "Fantastic." he said dryly, dialling the number.

"You asked for it." Kai muttered, a slightly sadistic smirk on his face.

"Hello, Lee. This is Kenny, from the Bladebreakers. Yes, fine thanks. It's…about Ray." In the dead silence that followed, the sound of Kenny swallowing nervously could be clearly heard. "You see, we were out hiking, and he argued with one of us and stormed off the path in a huff…Yes, of course you can." With an audible sigh of relief, he handed the phone over to Mr Dickinson, who proceeded to explain matter-of-factly exactly what had happened, leaving out which member of the team Ray had argued with.

"We're all crossing our fingers down here, Lee. What? Yes, of course, I'll keep you up-to date with any developments. No problem. Try not to get too worried at the moment, please. Yes, we hope so, too. Give my regards to the rest of the White Tigers. Goodbye, Lee." He put the phone down and exhaled noisily. "Well, that's that sorted for the moment." He shot a hopeless, annoyed look towards where Kai was pacing shakily. With a set expression, Max got up to take his turn at making Kai rest. He stepped into Kai's path, staring straight at him.

"Kai, you're going to make yourself ill if you don't take a rest soon." Kai stared wordlessly at Max's earnest face for a few seconds, then turned and walked towards the door.

"I need to lie down. See you all in an hour or two." he said curtly, before disappearing from sight.

"Put it in the diary, Kenny. Kai actually took notice of something that wasn't beyblade-connected." Everyone ignored Tyson's sullen mutter. Over the next few hours, all four of them, Mr Dickinson included, succumbed to helpless tears. For the first time in eight years, Tyson found himself praying, if you could call uninhibited begging and bargaining praying.


	2. Lost and Found

Six days after Ray's disappearance, the remainder of the Bladebreakers were slouched in the living room of the hotel that Mr Dickinson had found for them.

Even Kai (now recovered from his concussion) was sitting with one leg slung carelessly over the arm of his chair. Tyson was lying flat on his stomach on the sofa, occupying all the available space by spread-eagling his arms and legs. Max and Kenny were sharing the remaining armchair, politely making room for each other.

With the uncertain air of someone who is beginning to doubt the wisdom of what he is doing, Kai eyed the clock, then picked up the television remote and turned on the TV. Bringing up the English subtitles for the benefits of the others, he dropped the remote back onto the floor. Every muscle in the room was clenched with tension as the daily news began.

The atmosphere was similar to that of a balloon with a hole the size of a pinprick in it. Slowly, as the news progressed, the tension leaked out of the four boys, leaving them varyingly limp and depressed.

Suddenly, the hole seemed to reverse its job, sucking the tension back into the darkened room, illuminated only by the twin glows of Dizzi's screen and the TV.

"Six days ago," the newsreader announced calmly. "a teenage boy was rescued from the tundra, after somehow surviving a blizzard wearing next to no protective clothes."

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my go-"

"Shut the hell up, Tyson!" Kai snapped, his gaze glued to the TV screen.

"His identity and medical condition are yet to be released, but he is believed to be a member of one of the beyblade teams soon to be competing for the prestigious title of World Champion. He is assumed to be suffering from both severe hypothermia and exposure, and could remain unconscious for some length of time. At any length, one team will clearly have to compensate for his loss in the eagerly awaited matches.

"Next, the stock market in Moscow has rise by over forty percent in the past-" The TV switched off with an audible thud, leaving a stunned, shell-shocked silence in its place. Max was the first to break the silence.

"Ray…" he whispered, joy filling his countenance. He turned to face the others, blue eyes sparkling with heady delight. "Guys, he's all right! Ray's alive!" Hush prevailed for a few seconds more, while three bewildered minds slowly processed the information.

"Ray's alive…" Tyson repeated slowly. Suddenly, his face lit up like a light bulb. "Ray's alive!" he yelled, springing up from the sofa and tackling Max and Kenny to the floor in a spurt of pure elation. The three boys lay on the floor, alternately laughing and crying with relief at the news that they had almost stopped hoping for. Kai stood up, a faint smile on his face. Surveying the ball of arms and legs with vague amusement, he went out of the room to phone Mr Dickinson, who would then alert the White Tigers. Suddenly, he stopped in the doorway.

"Guys, are we going to fight, then?" he asked quietly. The younger boys exchanged glances, then shrugged.

"Yeah!"

"Yes."

"Okay…" Kai walked over and stared down at Max.

"Are you sure, Max? Because we won't if you don't want to." Max bit his lip, then shook his head slowly.

"No, it's okay. I'll do my best." Tyson let out an enthusiastic whoop and flung himself on top of his best friend, pummelling him unmercifully. Kai raised an eyebrow and left hurriedly.

"That's a boy! We'll thrash 'em, Maxie!" Tyson yelled excitedly.

"Yes, Tyson, you bet we will." Max mumbled indistinctly. "Can you let go of me now?"

"Oh, sorry."

"What about me?" came a tiny, muffled voice from underneath Tyson. Max burst into giddy laughter as Tyson clambered off the squashed form of Kenny. "Ouch…" the eleven year-old complained, rubbing his head.

"Well, you shouldn't've got underneath me, then!" Tyson proclaimed loudly. Kenny laughed, joining Max in fits of hysterical, grateful laughter. Within seconds, the room was full of noise, a stark contrast to the past six days, tears flooding down all the boys' faces as their extinguished hope was rekindled brighter than ever.

* * *

Ray stirred weakly. He felt icy cold and terrifying feeble, as if somebody had sucked all his energy up through a straw. Somebody said something in a low voice. He tried to open his eyes as a hand rested on his forehead, but couldn't even begin to summon up the energy.

"You should go back to sleep, Master Adrian." a voice told him in slightly accented English. A warning light clicked on in Ray's dazed, sluggish thoughts.

 _I_ _'m…I'm not Adrian…at least, I don't think so… I'm Ray_.

"Everyone has been very worried about you, Master Adrian." There was a hint of reproach in the disembodied voice now. "Out in a blizzard with no warm clothing… What on earth were you thinking? If the search party hadn't found you when they did, we would have lost you for good. That would a been a great pity, to see our most promising student wiped out by the snow. Miss Jasmine would have been most disappointed." 

_This doesn't make sense…what are they talking about? Who are they talking about? Why do they think I'm some guy called Adrian?_ Summoning up every scrap of strength he possessed, he forced himself to speak.

"No…" The word floated away, inaudible, a waste of energy.

"What is the matter, Master Adrian? You seem agitated. Perhaps the cold has temporarily numbed your brain. In that case, do not worry. I and others will be more than happy to fill in the gaps when you are better and feel more able to cope." 

_Maybe there is something in that idea…I definitely want to know what they think they're doing…who they think I am…_

"I will just give you a small injection which shall help you to sleep, and also help you heal. You should not feel anything, however I apologise in advance in case I am wrong. It is rare, but possible. Goodnight, Master Adrian. Sweet dreams."

True to the voice's word, Ray didn't feel the needle slide into him. He felt only the numbness that crept up on him like a ghost and reclaimed him to unconsciousness.

* * *

"How is the boy?"

"Responding well to the initial stages, sir. Physically, it will take a little while longer before he is ready for you to take over."

"Time scale?"

"Circumstances permitting, we are perfectly on schedule, sir."

"Very good. Off you go, then."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Tyson watched idly as Dragoon bounced off Draciel's defences. He shook his head and gave Max an apologetic grin.

"Sorry, Maxie, I just can't concentrate." He held out a hand and caught Dragoon, then threw the beyblade to Kenny. "You keep this for the minute. I'll probably end up trying to use it as a toothpick, or a knife or something like that." Surprised, Kenny caught the white beyblade clumsily and, shrugging, started to dismantle it.

"You can never have too many adjustments, hey Chief?" Dizzi asked. Kenny nodded in agreement and started typing at full speed. Dizzi fell silent as she applied all her resources to the commands Kenny was keying in. Max looked worriedly after Tyson, who was walking slowly out of the room with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Tyson wandered aimlessly around the hotel. Suddenly, he walked straight into somebody.

"Sorry…" he mumbled without looking up, moving aside to let the man pass.

"Tyson, my boy! What's the matter?" Mr Dickinson looked concernedly at Tyson.

"Nothing." Tyson muttered listlessly. He looked up when Mr Dickinson rested a hand on his shoulder and began steering him to the escalator.

"Come with me, Tyson." he said firmly.

Tyson stayed standing as Mr Dickinson sat down in an armchair.

"Now then, Tyson, do you want to tell me what's wrong?" he inquired kindly. Tyson shrugged.

"It just doesn't feel right, blading without Ray." he said softly. "It's like, I can't seem to get motivated about it anymore." He heaved a sigh. Mr Dickinson frowned.

"Tyson, are you saying that you don't like beyblading anymore?" Tyson's eyes flashed.

"No!" he said vehemently. "I still like it! I just…need to get used to Ray not being here, that's all."

"He won't be there in the World Championships, Tyson. Although, on the other hand, I'm sure he'll be able to come and watch…" Mr Dickinson trailed off, remembering a certain phone call that he received earlier that day.

"Yeah, I know." Tyson answered miserably. Mr Dickinson hesitated for a second, then took the plunge.

"Tyson, would it make you feel better if I told you that I received a phone call this morning, telling me that Ray was well on the road to recovery?" A small smile of relief crept over Tyson's previously sombre face.

"A bit." he replied. Watching the transformation, Mr Dickinson couldn't help but smile back. He vowed silently never to tellthe boythat the phone call had been anonymous and _just_ containing the words "Ray is well on the road to recovery". Tyson started to walk out of Mr Dickinson's hotel suite, when a thought struck him. "Mr D?" he asked, turning around.

"Yes, Tyson?"

"Where's Kai? He's been disappearing around this time pretty much every day since we heard about Ray being rescued - no, before that even. So, d'you know where he is?" He looked expectantly at the BBA chairman. His eyes narrowed as the old man sat there, frozen. "Sir?" There was an edge to his voice now, an edge that said: _You're hiding something from me_. Mr Dickinson shifted uneasily in his seat.

"Yes, Tyson, I do know. But-"

"He doesn't want us to know right?" The old man nodded, somewhat unhappily. "Yeah, well, stuff him. I won't tell anyone."

"It's not that easy, Tyson. I'm one of the few people that Kai trusts. In fact, I can't think of another one off the top of my head. I don't want to betray his faith in me." Tyson scowled and kicked moodily at the carpet.

"Man, this sucks." he muttered. _You said it_ , Mr Dickinson thought gloomily. Suddenly, there came the sound of quickly moving footsteps. The door was flung open, and Kai marched in and flung himself into the remaining armchair.

Tyson stared at Kai, trying to figure out from his appearance where he had been.

"Take a picture, Tyson, it'll last longer." the older boy snapped. Tyson physically started. He had heard the unthinkable. A slight shake in Kai's voice. _Kai's_ voice. What the heck had he been doing?

"Kai, where've you been?" he asked abruptly. Kai flicked him a cursory glance, then glared at Mr Dickinson. "Oh, Mr D refused to tell me. I asked. So, where've you been?" Tyson repeated, annoyed.

"What's it to you?" Mr Dickinson eyed the two boys apprehensively. They were both upset and edgy, with a long history of arguments and one fight that had left Tyson with a black eye and concussion. He should probably be taking cover right about now… Oh well. Common sense never had been one of his strong points.

"It's a lot to me!" Tyson said heatedly. "You could have been anywhere for all we know! You could have been out getting Black Dranzer back!" Kai laughed humourlessly.

"Yeah, right."

"Kai…" Tyson took a step closer. "I know you don't really trust us, but please, just tell me this one little thing?" Kai sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

"It's nothing exciting. Why do you even want to know?"

"Because you're a part of the Bladebreakers too, Kai. And we deserve to know why you haven't been here for ninety percent of the practices." Kai flinched as if Tyson had struck him. "So? Where do you go?" Kai sighed.

"I go and get my memories back." he said cryptically. Tyson blinked.

"You what?" he asked in confusion. Kai looked at him coolly.

"You got what you asked for. I don't like talking about it."

"Well, can Mr D tell me about it?" Tyson asked eagerly. Kai shrugged.

"Whatever." he muttered. Tyson turned to Mr Dickinson, who noticed the ironic lightening in Tyson's mood.

"Kai first used Black Dranzer when he was only nine. When Boris and his grandfather found out, they wiped his memories and replaced them with other ones. Kai's been going to somebody who's trying to help him work out what his life was actually like aged nine and younger." Tyson pulled a face, confused. Kai groaned in disgust.

"Tyson, how clear does he have to make it?" he growled. Tyson blinked at him. "Fine! You want it straight? I've been seeing a psychiatrist! There! You happy now?" Taken aback by Kai's sudden ferocity, Tyson took a step back, away from Kai's sudden wild-eyed intensity.

"Happy? Why would I be happy?" he asked, eyeing Kai warily. "Sit down, would ya? You're freaking me out." Muttering darkly, Kai slumped back into his chair, his face flushed. "Why would I care if you were seeing a shrink? I saw one for three years after my mum left." Surprise flashed across Kai's face for a moment. "Now, you gonna come to practice or you gonna sit around here feeling sorry for yourself?"

"Oh yes, you're a fine one to talk!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"At least I'm not wandering round the hotel with a face like a wet sack!" Kai stood up, smoothing his ruffled composure over. "I'll come to practice if you battle me." Tyson fidgeted. He didn't want to lose, but on the other hand, he didn't want Kai to miss yet another practice…

"Okay." he said finally, his face uncharacteristically serious.

Tyson looked in bewilderment as Kai went over and spoke quietly to Kenny and Max, who nodded in agreement.

"Tyson? Kai says I can battle as well." Max called.

"What, you mean like a…three-way battle?" Everyone sighed.

"Yes, Tyson." Kenny said finally. Tyson's face cleared.

"Oh, okay then." He caught Dragoon effortlessly as Kenny threw him it. Without a word, the three boys took up launching positions over the dish in the middle of the room. Kenny, acting as referee, took up his position in the one clear space.

"Ready, guys? And three…two…one…"

"Let it rip!" four voices yelled in unison. Three beyblades thudded into the dish. Dragoon started circling instantly, while Draciel and Dranzer stayed in the middle of the dish, occasionally nudging each other for the exact middle spot.

"What are you doing, Kai?" Tyson asked, more confused than ever. Kai looked deadpan at him.

"I thought I'd let you start things off."he said growled in annoyance, his temper finally snapping after over a week of brewing.

"Stop _confusing_ me!" he retorted forcefully, sending Dragoon slamming into Dranzer. Dranzer held its ground and, with a quick shove, sent Dragoon skidding backwards.

"Weak attack, Tyson." Kai said flatly. "What did Robert tell you about using your anger?"

"Like I'm supposed to remember? I'm stupid, remember?" Tyson yelled angrily.

"No, you're not!" Tyson looked down in surprise as Draciel crashed against Dragoon, sending it a few centimetres into the air before he recovered. Max stared at him, exasperation and irritation clear in his eyes. "You know you're not, Tyson, we know you're not, so stop wallowing in that dumb argument!" Draciel connected solidly with Dragoon again. Tyson stared at Max, his mouth slightly open in shock. "Fight me, damn you!" Max shouted. "I haven't even got a bit-beast anymore, Tyson, and I'm still beating you! Ooh, I can't _wait_ until the World Championships!" The bond boy's tone was scathing, sarcastic, unlike anything that Tyson had ever heard from cheerful, good-tempered Max before. A sudden surge of fury welled up inside him.

"Shut up!" he bawled. Dragoon's bit-chip began to glow blue. "Just _shut up_! You don't know _anything_!" The white beyblade raced round the dish, crashing ineffectively into both Draciel and Dranzer.

"You're wasting your energy, Tyson." Kai said coldly.

"Like hell I am! _Dragoon_!" Max let out a gasp as Dragoon smashed viciously into Draciel, stumbling backwards. "I'm fighting now, Max! Happy?"

"Tyson! Be careful!" Kenny shrieked frantically. "Max doesn't have Draciel to protect him anymore! You could really hurt him!"

"Back off, Chief!" Tyson yelled, making no move to curtail Dragoon's destructive rampage. "He asked for it!" Max cried out again. A deep cut appeared on his cheek. Dragoon drew back for another onslaught, only to be halted by Dranzer, who had slid noiselessly into place. The two beyblade locked in a dead heat. Max quietly recalled Draciel, knowing that he couldn't handle the battle that was about to take place.

" _Stop it_!" Tyson stopped mid-bellow, shocked into silence by the fierceness in Kai's normally emotionless voice. "Look at yourself! You're lashing out at a team mate, Tyson! You could have seriously injured Max! And why? Because he said what everyone's been thinking since Ray went off in a temper nine days ago!" Tyson let out a wordless roar that was echoed by Dragoon as the magnificent bit-beast emerged. Kai looked at the towering dragon, a strange light dancing in his eyes.

"Shut the hell up, Kai!" Tyson bellowed. "You've got no idea! Not a clue how I feel!"

"Oh, haven't I?" Kai snarled suddenly. Dranzer smashed into Dragoon violently, knocking both beyblade and bit-beast back to the edge of the dish. "You're unbelievable! You really think that you're the only one who cares about Ray! I do, for one thing! He's the only one out of you bunch of idiots I could ever talk to!"

"Wow, sourpuss has a heart! I'd never've guessed!" Dranzer started to crash into Dragoon again, who was weakening as Tyson became more and more distracted.

"You - are - so - selfish!" Kai hissed between clenched teeth. "Tyson, we all miss Ray! We all feel that there's something missing, but you can't keep on doing this! We're all hurting inside Tyson, we're all trying to think of ways that we could he prevented this, but there's nothing we can do except pull ourselves together and get on with what we were told to do. Now, if you don't pull yourself together and start fighting properly, I swear I'll pull us out of the tournament!"

"You've got no right…" Tyson muttered, his anger slowly draining away, being replaced by guilt and familiar battle lust.

"I'm the team leader, I have _every_ right, and I will exercise that right if I have to!" Dranzer drew away, leaving Dragoon to regroup and gather its defences. "Now, fight me, Tyson!"

"You're on." Tyson muttered, a slight smile playing about his lips. "Thanks, Kai." Kai nodded curtly.

"Now, are you going to talk or battle?" he demanded.

"I'll let Dragoon do the talking!" Tyson retorted. "Go, Dragoon!" Kai raised a hand slowly.

"Come on, Dranzer!" he shouted. "Let's show this pathetic excuse for a beyblader how to fight!" The two bit-beasts rushed towards each other.

" _Phantom Hurricane_!"

" _Flame Sabre_!" Wind met fire in an explosive connection. Instinctively, Tyson ducked, protecting himself from the burning wind that whistled overhead. Dragoon landed at his feet.

"You okay, guys?" he called.

"Never been better." Kai sounded almost content. "Well done, Tyson." Tyson blinked and straightened up.

"Why?" Kai jerked his head towards the wall behind him, where Dranzer was nestled in a hole at least two metres in diameter. "Wow. I did that?" Kai nodded. His skin was flushed and cut with the heat and ferocity that Tyson had dodged.

"You did that, Tyson." he confirmed. His eyes narrowed. "Now, don't you have an apology to make?" With a feeling of horror, Tyson stared at the blood dribbling down Max's face.

"Max…I'm so, so sorry…" he said haltingly. Max shrugged, his eyes sparkling with pleasure.

"It's okay. We've got our Tyson back now."


	3. Shattered Minds

"Sir, the boy is ready for you to do with as you wish."

"Very good. Has he been prepared?"

"Yes, sir."

"Bring him in." Boris smiled cruelly as he saw Ray's semi-conscious form being dragged into the room. The boy's eyes were glazed with the drug that he had been injected with. It was a particularly nasty little concoction, mixed up by Biovolt's laboratories for just this purpose. It left the user conscious enough to talk and understand what was being said to them, yet wiped their memories of happenings while under the influence of it once it had gone from their systems, leaving only a lingering impression. Boris stepped forwards, ready to begin his slow disconnection of Ray's memories. He motioned for the boy to be dragged in front of the full-length mirror that stood in the middle of the otherwise bare room.

"Can you see yourself, Ray?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Excellent. Tell me about yourself. Everything that you can think of." Ray began to talk, his voice a flat, droning monotone. Boris paid little attention to the monologue, as all it did was serve a purpose. There were people in adjacent rooms who were recording this and writing it down in case they ran up against any difficulties, but they were nothing to do with him. This was the real reason that Voltaire had hired him. Of course, his sadistic tendencies were helpful, but this wasn't something as basic as torture. This was art.

"Then I kicked Kai in the head and ran off. After that I walked into the tundra… It was so cold…" Ray's voice faltered and stopped.

"Very good, Ray. Now then, I want you to put all of what you just told me into this mirror. Imagine that it's pouring out of you into the mirror and you can see everything looking back at you. Have you done that?"

"Yes."

"Everything that makes you "Ray" is inside that mirror?"

"Yes." Boris strode over to the mirror and struck it as hard as he could. The glass shattered. Ray's glassy eyes stared vacantly at the rough wood that was revealed.

"Everything that makes you Ray is broken. You can see it on the floor around you. Can you see it?"

"Yes."

"You are an empty shell. You have no identity."

"Yes."

"Do you wish an identity?"

"Yes."

"As you wish. You are Adrian. Who are you?"

"I am…Adrian." Over the next two hours, Boris told the newly christened Adrian the rough basics of his "life", events, people, even some basic likes and dislikes. Eventually, he stopped. A callous smirk crept over his face. Time to check the boy had learnt his lesson. He walked until he was only a foot away from Adrian, within easy arms reach.

"Who are you?" he asked abruptly. Adrian's face contorted.

"I am Ra-" His fist shot out and smashed into the boy's stomach.

"Who are you?" he repeated, more forcefully this time. Adrian straightened up gradually, his long black hair hanging loosely around his tanned face.

"I…I am A-Adrian." he said slowly, hesitating a little over the name. He cried out softly as Boris' fist knocked him off balance for a second time.

"Again! Who are you?"

"I am Adrian." Boris relaxed, although his fist stayed clenched.

"Good boy." Time to hammer in some important points. "Where do you live?"

"In Chi - In the Abbey." Adrian corrected himself quickly. Boris smirked.

"How long have you been living in the Abbey, Adrian?"

"Since I was six years old."

"Which eight people do you hate more than any others?" There was a long pause. Boris scowled. "Adrian?" The boy's mouth worked furiously.

"K-K-Ke…" He trailed off and stood silently. Boris punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor. He stood over him.

"Kevin, Gary, Lee, Mariah, Kenny, Max, Kai and Tyson!" he snarled, kicking him sharply in the side. "Say it, weakling!" Eventually, after much "persuasion", involving being kicked round the room, Adrian stammered out the names. "Stupid, foolish, ridiculous boy… Who is Ray?" Another hard question. With satisfaction, he delivered a hard blow to Adrian's chest.

"Ray is…Ray is m-m-my twin brother." Bruised and bleeding, Adrian looked up at Boris with eyes as blank as they had been at the beginning of the "experiment". Boris grunted dismissively.

"That'll do. It doesn't have to hold for long, after all." He waved a hand in Adrian's direction. "Take him away." The two guards stepped forwards, bowed, and took hold of Ray.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

The black-haired boy stirred slightly and moaned. He felt as though he'd just fallen down a flight of steps. Several flights.

"Ssh, Adrian." a female voice said softly. "Everything's okay now. You're back with us." With an effort, Adrian forced his eyes open. Kneeling next to his bed was an attractive, curvaceous blonde. Her green eyes shone with concern as she gazed at him. "How do you feel?" she asked tenderly, running a cool hand over his forehead. He looked dazedly at her.

"I hurt…" he mumbled weakly. The girl laughed glibly.

"I'm not surprised! I didn't think you had it in you, you know." Her eyes sparkled teasingly.

"Had what?"

"You nearly died of hypothermia, Adrian! Not to mention all the painful bruises you've got from falling into the crevasse." Her flawless, cream-coloured face suddenly creased. "The doctor said that you were having some problems with your memory. Do you know who I am?" Adrian racked his brain feverishly. Gradually, a memory slid out of the strange fog that was his mind at the moment.

"You're Jasmine." he said nervously, half-expecting to be wrong. "My...girlfriend." The girl's face lit up.

"Dead right!" She leaned forwards and kissed him gently on the lips. "Welcome back, Adrian." she murmured against the kiss.

"Thanks," he murmured, winding his arms round her and returning the kiss. It deepened quickly. He probed her closed lips with his tongue, trying to tease them open. After a brief, almost playful resistance, she obliged, allowing him access.

"Now then, you two. No mischief in here, if you please. This is a hospital ward, not a spare bedroom." Reluctantly, they broke apart. Jasmine's eyes flashed with annoyance.

"But, Ivan!" she complained, a slight edge to her voice. "We were just having a bit of fun!" She played absentmindedly with Adrian's untidy waves of black hair. "When can he get up?" she demanded. The doctor frowned in thought.

"If he wishes, he could get up now. But, a warning Master Adrian, you will not feel quite yourself for some time yet. You may experience some nausea or dizziness, and perhaps severe headaches. But, I cannot prevent from doing what you wish."

"Good." Jasmine snapped. Her gaze shifted to Adrian. "Do you want to get up?" Adrian shrugged, already moving into a sitting position.

"Whatever you want, Jas." He shot her a flirtatious look. She laughed and kissed him again. "I'll take that as a "get up", then?" Wincing slightly at his various aches and pains, he slowly clambered out of bed.

"Shall we go and catch up with the rest of the team, then?" she asked lightly. He blinked, the strange fog in his mind's eye obscuring who she meant. "You don't remember? We're defending our title as the World Champions." World Champions… For some reason, that phrase soothed his racing thoughts.

"Vaguely." he replied hesitantly. She took his hand, a worried expression on her face.

"Okay, let's go and refresh your memory."

They were walking down a corridor, quite unhurried, as Adrian was, as predicted, a little dizzy, when a familiar figure appeared round a corner.

"Tala…" Adrian stopped dead, staring into space. Strange, disjointed memories were flashing through his mind. Another team…four other boys… Suddenly, a blinding pain burned through his head, banishing all thoughts and making the world spin. He fell to the floor, clutching helplessly at his head and moaning softly. Arms were around him, pulling him into a soothing, tender embrace.

"Adrian? What's the matter?" A strong arm helped support him.

"Do you want to go and lie down?" Tala asked quietly. Adrian shook his head. The pain was receding, clearing his head again. He stood up, rubbing his head distractedly.

"No…I'm fine now." he said slowly. Everything seemed to be slotting into place at last. "Sorry, Tala, mate. I don't know what came over me."

"Well, if you're sure…" Tala said doubtfully, removing his arm. "Jas, give the poor guy some breathing space. He's as white as a sheet."

Once Adrian had recovered sufficiently, they continued walking.

* * *

Boris bowed until his large, bulbous nose nearly touched the floor, then stared fixedly into space.

"You called, my lord?" he said stiffly. The chair in front of the large oaken desk swivelled round.

"I did indeed, Boris. Your powers of observation never fail to stun me." Voltaire said mockingly. "To business. Kindly explain to me again why we could not simply abduct Kai, or even Tyson, and use your…technique on them? It would guarantee us more-"

"If you will excuse my rudeness, my lord, it would guarantee us nothing. Both Tyson and Kai are incredibly strong-willed. Neither would bend without the use of extreme mental pressure, and you have always instructed me to never damage Kai's mind more than is absolutely necessary." _And that hasn't already been done_. he added silently. _The boy's mind's as shattered as that mirror I used yesterday. It's only his sheer grit that prevents him from going completely insane. Pity. The possibilities of a psychotic Kai are unlimited…_

"True, true. So, how is Ray - oh, do forgive me, - _Adrian_ responding?"

"Adrian is responding relatively well, excellently considering I didn't give him the full treatment. We had a minor blip when he saw Tala, but if anything now, he seems even more firmly convinced of who he is."

"How are you getting around the fact that he can't speak a word of Russian?"

"Simple enough. I told him that he had never managed to master the language fully, and prefers to speak in his second language, English."

"When will his training begin?"

"Very soon, my lord. He is still a little fragile at the moment. But I assure you, he will have unmatched skills when he does beyblade."

"Hurry it up, Boris. We only have two more weeks until the Championship matches. He must be ready by then."

"Yes, my lord. My lord, if it is not a great rudeness, may I inquire how using Adrian , or indeed Tyson, will encourage your grandson to return to us?"

"No, you may not." Voltaire said flatly. _You are too foolish to understand it, or to realise that you have just contradicted yourself. Pathetic_. "You may go now. I believe that there is a disobedient student waiting for you in cell 147." Boris' eyes gleamed nastily.

"Yes, my lord." He backed out of the room, already imagining new, more vicious punishments with almost childish glee. Voltaire looked at his departing figure with contempt. If it wasn't for Boris' genius when it came to brain-washing, he would have disposed of the man a long time ago. He was far too ambitious, unhindered by anything as pathetic as morals or indeed a conscience. A danger to everything and everyone who came into contact with him. He almost pitied Ray - no, Adrian. He must get used to that. He had nothing in particular against the boy, but he would do anything to once again have his grandson within his grasp.

"Kai," he whispered menacingly. "You _will_ be mine again." He downed the glass of wine that stood on the desk in a single gulp. "I will not be brushed aside again!" His blood boiled as he remembered the smug, confident look on Kai's face as he had used Black Dranzer to destroy a large portion of his research. "Kai…" The empty glass shattered into a thousand pieces in his rigid grip.

* * *

Kai stopped in mid-word, the blood draining from his face.

"Kai? What's the matter?" Tyson asked anxiously. Kai stayed silent, fighting to throw off the sudden feeling that somebody was watching him. Pushing it aside with an effort, he forced his face back into a neutral expression.

"Nothing, Tyson." he said tightly. "Practice building on Max's defences for a minute." Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the room, heading for his room. He had required one, giving no reasons, and Mr Dickinson, perhaps knowing the reason anyhow, had let him have it.

He closed his eyes and fought to keep his composure, clenching the duvet in one fist. _He can't reach me here. Mr Dickinson made sure of it. I rejected Black Dranzer, threw it in his face. He's powerless until the match_. His eyes opened, calm and inscrutable again. _And we **will** be ready for him_. He got up and went back into the practice room.

"That was good, Max, but there's still a way to go. Tyson, keep your damn defences up! How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Yeah, Kai, I know." Tyson grumbled.

"You'll thank me in twelve day's time."


	4. Fight or Flight

Adrian launched Driger. The grey beyblade raced around the dish, far faster than the bulkier grey blade that was circling in the opposite direction.

"Come on, Tala!" he cried. "Let's see how you handle me!" Tala's eyes narrowed.

"Bit cocky, aren't you?" he said with a smirk. Adrian's lips curved in a malignant smile.

"Try me." he whispered.

"I intend to." Wolborg headed straight for Driger. Adrian sighed in disapproval as Driger dodged the attack with ease.

"Tut, tut, Tala. Below your usual standard, I believe. What's the matter? Bryan hasn't stood you up again, has he?" He smirked. Tala stared flatly at him, betraying no hint of emotion.

The boy had taken to his new identity like a duck to water, Tala mused. He had become quite the leader, hard, relentless, sarcastic, a perfectionist if ever he'd seen one. His beyblading skills were unbelievable, and he worked the rest of them non-stop to try and get them to their highest standard.

"You know who you remind me of, Tala? Kai." Adrian gave a mirthless laugh. "I'll soon teach him who's the best of us." He flicked his hair over his shoulder. A few strands had come loose from the binding and were waving attractively around his face. His amber eyes glittered with exhilaration. "So then, Tala, are you going to fight me, or am I going to have to finish this here and now?"

"You can try." Tala snarled. Wolborg exploded from the beyblade, growling and snarling ferociously. Adrian gave a bored sigh as Driger moved out of the way of numerous vicious attacks.

"I can indeed. Shall I?" Without waiting for a reply, he returned his full attention to Driger, who began to glow. "I can defeat you without even summoning my bit-beast." The sleek grey blade zigzagged at lightning speed across the dish, building up speed and power.

Tala stumbled backwards as Driger slammed into Wolborg. The impact was incredible. It felt as though a tank had hit him, and he hadn't even received anything close to the full force of the hit. He scowled at Adrian's satisfied look as Wolborg hit the wall seven metres behind him.

 _When all this is over, kid_ , he thought, his face twisting, _when you're sitting in a loony bin, gibbering because you can't remember who you are, that's when I'll come for you. You'll pay for usurping my position as team captain and turning the others against me_ , _you arrogant, conceited little git…_

Adrian turned away from the dish, stretching out a hand for his beyblade. When it didn't come, he turned round, eyes blazing, and gave Driger the full force of his displeasure. Eventually, almost reluctantly, the beyblade soared into his hand. He nodded to Jasmine, who gave him an almost predatory look. They kissed passionately, hands finding their way under clothing to turn the heat up even more. Panting, Adrian pinned her to the wall, kissing her fiercely. Eagerly, he tore at her flimsy blouse. Next went her bra.

"Oy, you two! I'm feeling decidedly nauseous over here! Get a fucking room!" Tala yelled, his face contorted with disgust.

"Go find a room of your own!" Adrian retorted, his eyes glazed with lust. "I'm sure Bryan's feeling neglected!" Tala snarled with rage.

"I'm sure animal sounds turn you on, Tala, but kindly don't extend that courtesy to the rest of us." Jasmine said coolly, pulling Adrian into an almost violent kiss.

"We've got the Championships in two days flat and you two are making out in the middle of training!"

"We're not making out, you moron. We're just having a bit of fun, isn't that right?" Jasmine nodded breathlessly, tugging at Adrian's T-shirt. "Anyway, considering who's the weak link in the team at the moment, I suggest you shut your fat gob!"

"Oh, and who's going to make me?"

"I am!"

"Wow, I'm shitting myself!"

"Oh, so _that's_ what the smell is!" With a victorious smirk, Adrian walked abruptly out of the room, clutching Driger tightly.

Outside, he slumped against the wall, rubbing his temples as he struggled to quell the sudden headache. The argument had triggered an annoying stream of fuzzy, half-formed pictures and memories flooding through his head, not to mention this throbbing headache. Shaking his head decidedly, he dismissed it. Now wasn't the time for weakness. He had a bare day and a half left to prepare. Jasmine was ready, but then, her winning attack didn't require much practice. Tala was good, yes, but if he carried on being such a prick, he might bring Bryan in instead, just to show him who was boss. Oh yes, that would be hilarious…substitute him for his own boyfriend…he might do that, just to see his reaction. His mind occupied with thoughts of the upcoming battle, he walked swiftly own the corridor. Mysteriously, his headache had disappeared as quickly as it had come.

* * *

"All right, Max, are you ready for your final test?" Kenny inquired with a grin. Max nodded, his face pale with nervous excitement. Tyson and Kai launched at the same time, and instantly sent their beyblades charging towards Draciel. The two blades hit Draciel at exactly the same time, creating a force of almost unimaginable power. "Defend, Max!" Kai yelled.

"Come on, Maxie!" Tyson yelled encouragement. Giving them both a tight nod, Max gritted his teeth and held steady. Sweat began to drip down his face, but still he held on. He could see Dragoon losing momentum slightly, although Dranzer was as strong as ever. Watching carefully, he judged his time.

" _Draciel_!" Flinging his arms out, he released all of his remaining energy in one strike. The two attackers were flung violently backwards. Dragoon wobbled for a minute, then stopped. Dranzer spun unsteadily, but gradually managed to regain its balance.

"Well done, Max!" Kenny cried ecstatically. "That was unbelievable!" Max gave him a tired grin.

"Tha-thanks." he panted. He recalled Draciel and wiped his forehead. "Sheesh, that takes it out of you."

"I'm not surprised." Kai said matter-of-factly. "You just successfully deflected two of the best beybladers in the world. If you're not counting those Biovolt scum, that is." He scowled at the thought. "Anyway, congratulations. Whoever faces you is going to have more than he bargained for!" Max flushed with pride.

"Thanks, Kai." he mumbled. Tyson marched over and flung an arm around Max's shoulders.

"Yeah, you go, bud!" he said proudly. "Kai, I'm facing you next, right?" Kai nodded. "Let's get going, then!" he exclaimed. "The biggie's tomorrow!" Max and Kenny winced.

"Do you have to remind me?" Max muttered.

"Yep!" Tyson said cheerfully.

"Great…"

* * *

"Hello and good afternoon, beyblade fans! This is Brad and A.J Topper, coming to you _live_ from…from…A.J, have you been doing origami with our notes again?"

"Notes, what notes? I sure haven't seen any notes, heh, heh…seen a nice paper chicken, though…"

"Fan _tastic_. Anyway, we are in the _freezing_ city of Moscow in whichever stadium is hiding in the chicken, awaiting the arrival of the Demolition Boys! Huh? Y'what…oh, right. Yes, I see. Apparently, their name has been changed to Doppelganger, whatever that means…"

"It means "twin", Brad. Or "double".

"I knew that."

"Yeah, sure you did…" The crowd rustled with a few good-natured titters at the commentators' actions.

"Doppelganger?" Kenny murmured. "What a strange choice…"

"Anyway, we have just received word of some changes to team Doppelganger! The three bladers who will be competing today are - Tala," The crowed roared its approval. "Jasmine, and Adrian!" The cheers subsided into puzzled whispers.

"Who?" Tyson whispered, very loudly.

"Well, I don't know!" Kenny snapped. "Kai? Ideas?" Kai shook his head. He had a bad feeling about this.

"I don't know, but I as sure as hell don't like it." he murmured, almost to himself. "We'll be going in blind, with no clue to their strategies. We're going to have to be constantly aware." He gave Tyson a hard look. For once, the boy didn't shoot a sharp retort back, simply nodding and muttering;

"You betcha."

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and, of course, Tyson - "

"Oy! Watch it, you - " Everybody watched in amusement as Tyson was bodily gagged and sat on by Max and Kai.

" - here are team Doppelganger!" Three teenagers strode confidently out of the tunnel and along the red carpet that had been put there specially.

Suddenly, the cheers stopped, leaving an uneasy vacuum. Tala crossed his arms and shrugged, reaching the bench and sitting down on it. Jasmine remained, tugging on the arm of the boy that was causing the rapidly spreading wave of discontent. Without consciously thinking about it, the crowd swivelled to take in the Bladebreakers' reaction.

"Ray…" Tyson broke the thick silence, his voice hoarse with shock. "Oh my God…Ray, _why_?" He started to run forwards, only to dash straight into Kai's out-flung arm.

"Shut up and get back to the bench." Kai snarled.

"But-but, Kai, why…why _Ray_? I can't just - "

"I doubt that _Adrian_ would appreciate your sentiments, Tyson." Kai was staring at the black-haired boy very closely. Reluctantly, eyes burning with a mixture of fury and pity, Tyson sat back down. Kenny was staring bug-eyed at Ray, taking panicked, rasping gasps for air.

"Inhaler's in your pocket, Chief." Tyson said automatically. Kenny fumbled for the inhaler, his face an unhealthy grey colour.

"I-I'm going first, right, Tyson?" Receiving a shaky affirmative, Max nodded twice, then ran his hands over his hair a few times. His face was beyond white, it was luminous, a kind of sickly yellowish-grey. "Who am I a-against?"

"Tala." Kai said curtly, without turning round.

"Right…right, okay. Dizzi, do we have anything on Tala?" Max asked, his tone suddenly businesslike. In a tone quite unlike her usual ironic voice, Dizzi told Max the few statistics that they had on the redhead.

Adrian looked over the opposing team. His lip curled in distaste as he saw the four boys whom he despised. Vaguely, he wondered why they all looked so shocked. Two of their glares in particular were transfixing him for some strange reason. Tyson's gaze was full of anger, mixed with a strange sadness and disbelief. Kai's was blank, but so intense that it made the hair stand up on his arms. He read Tyson's lips as the boy mouthed a single word.

 _"Ray…"_ He frowned. Why was he calling him Ray? He was Adrian, he knew that. Tyson must have been told who was going to be blading before the final, surely? A slow, dull thump began to pound in his head. Giving them a last, slightly puzzled look, he allowed Jasmine to pull him to the bench.

* * *

Tala smirked in triumph as he made a few last minute adjustments to his beyblade.

"This isn't going to be worth the effort." he said scornfully. "Spencer's given methe kid'sbit-beast, so I'll use that to play with him for a bit, what do you think?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, go ahead." Adrian muttered distractedly. His gaze suddenly flew to the stands. A row of four teenagers, three boys and one girl, were staring down at him, horrified. As he slowly looked them over, his headache intensified. With a slight gasp, he tore his gaze away and stared fixedly at the floor.

"Adrian?" Jasmine touched his arm gently. He shrugged it off. It suddenly took all his will to summon a smile for her.

"I'm fine, Jas. Just nerves, that's all." He looked up for a second. "Tala, you're up."

"Hm, so I am. Watch out, Max." Moving with an air of total confidence, Tala got up and walked towards the dish.

Max accepted Tyson's good-luck hug and stood up, his eyes fixed on Tala. Or, more specifically, on Wolborg, where he could see flashes of a familiar colour.

"Draciel…" he whispered. His hands stopped quivering and he walked out, his whole being focused on his stolen bit-beast.

"All right, the bladers are at the dish! And today, these two will be blading on the traditional dish, polished and varnished to make it easier to manoeuvre on. Bladers, are you ready?" Jazzman yelled. Tala and Max nodded. "On my mark! And three…two…one…"

" _Let it rip_!" The two beyblades landed. Draciel instantly sought the middle of the dish and spun there. Wolborg began to circle, then swung in for a quick attack. The strike bounced off the green beyblade with no noticeable effect. Tala's eyes widened. Max smiled thinly.

"Stronger than I look, am I, Tala?" he asked challengingly. Tala scowled and moved away, circling around again. Max stood still, with that thin, taunting smile on his face.

Seven minutes passed. Each time that Tala crashed into Draciel, he was sent flying backwards, his temper growing with every failed attempt. Finally, his temper got the better of him.

"You want to see your bit-beast again, Max?" he said nastily. "Well, say hello!" Draciel rose out of Wolborg, its eyes glazed and blank. Max gasped and took a step forwards. Seeing the momentary weakness, the grey beyblade struck. A long, thin cut appeared on Max's left arm. The boy looked briefly at it, then returned his gaze to his bit-beast, his eyes wide with dismay.

"D-Draciel…" he murmured.

"And that's not all!" Tala continued, his eyes glittering with rage. "Wolborg! Come and join the party!" The huge wolf sprang out of the beyblade and glared malignantly at Max. Jolted back into reality, Max hurriedly returned his attention to his beyblade. Anger began to boil inside him. "It's over, Max!" Tala gloated. "Go, Wolborg and Draciel!" The grey beyblade pelted towards the green blade, bit-beasts hungry for blood.

" _No_!" A gasp ran throughout the stadium as the green beyblade held its ground. The bit-beasts roared in frustration. "I'm…not…giving up…that…easily…Tala!" Max shouted. His face was ashen and cuts were appearing all over his body, yet he refused to give in. He fell to his knees, shaking like a leaf as Tala increased the power of his attack. "I'm not…giving…up! _Attack_!" Energy flowed into the green beyblade and it began to push Wolborg back. Tala's eyes gleamed.

"Sorry, Max, but you just can't do it!" he yelled. "Draciel, Attack! Wolborg, Icicle Claw!" In an incredible power surge, both bit-beasts charged forwards. The green beyblade was knocked out of the dish, to land in a smoking heap at Max's feet.

Max swayed, his eyes fluttering closed. He hit the floor painfully, banging his head hard. Suddenly, people were all around him.

"Max! Max, are you all right? Speak to me, buddy!" Wearily, he cracked open one eye.

"Sorry guys…I…failed…" he murmured faintly. Tyson hugged him tightly.

"You didn't, Maxie, you did really well!" Max groaned slightly as he felt somebody slip his arm around their shoulders and gently lift him up.

"Come on, Max." Kai said quietly in his ear. "Let's go and get you sorted out." Max wriggled weakly in Kai's grip.

"M-my beyblade…" he mumbled. He felt the familiar contours of it being pressed into his hand.

"Here you are, Max." Tyson said. "Kai, I'll take him. You're fighting now."

Kai nodded and let Tyson take the semi-conscious Max. Fingering Dranzer idly, he looked at the opposing bench to try and see who he was going to be against. The girl, Jasmine, stood up and gave him a long, appraising stare as she toyed with her orange beyblade. Kai's blood boiled at her insolence. He would show her what _true_ power was. He stepped up to the dish at the same time as her and fitted Dranzer to the launcher.

* * *

"Now, ladies and gentleman, we shall reveal the brand new dish, designed especially for this match!" The floor in front of him drew back to reveal a sheet of ice, with few breaks in the smooth sheen. "This is the Ice Rink dish! With only a few patches of rough ground with which to gain a grip and dangerously thin sections scattered everywhere, this really is a dish for the experts!"

"What d you think, Brad?"

"Well, AJ, both of these competitors grew up in Russia and are used to treacherous conditions, but this is something else! It's going to take nerves of steel and some intense concentration to avoid a humiliating splash into the icy depths!"

"You said it, Brad! Now then, let's get this party started!"

"You heard them! On my mark! In three…two…one… _let it rip_!" Both blades flew into the dish and landed on the rough patches, gathering their courage for an advance onto the ice. Jasmine was the first to make her move. Green eyes narrowed, she moved slowly out onto the slippery surface. Kai watched impassively, waiting for his moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tyson come back and hurry to his seat.

"Go, Rekkyt!" Jasmine cried. A magnificent Sphinx rose out of her beyblade and roared a challenge.

"Nice bit-beast." Kai said coolly. "But can it handle the ice?"

"Oh, I think so." Jasmine replied steadily. "Can you?"

"I grew up on the ice." Dranzer moved away from the safety zone.

"Look at the concentration on these blader's faces!"

"I don't blame them, though. One slip and - whoops! Down they go!" Kai growled in annoyance at the off-putting commentators. It was true, manoeuvring on the ice required an almost unsustainable level of concentration, and their frivolous comments were not helping in the slightest. Jasmine also seemed distracted. Seizing the advantage, Dranzer skidded across the ice and slammed into Rekkyt. Jasmine's pretty face contorted in a scowl of rage.

"I deserve better, Kai!" she shouted. "Where's your all-mighty phoenix?"

"Patience, Jasmine, patience." Kai replied calmly. "Don't hurry a master." He smirked slightly as Dranzer easily dodged an unsteady attack.

"Get that over-fed turkey out here and fight me like a true beyblader, you self-centred, conceited bastard!" Kai smiled thinly.

"Now, now, there are children watching, Jasmine." he said softly, chiding her. His gaze flickered to Ray, or Adrian, who appeared to be in pain, rubbing at his head and grimacing. Suddenly, he swore loudly as Dranzer fell through a weak spot in the ice. "Dranzer!" The dark water began to glow as the phoenix responded to his command. Kai gasped as a scarlet wing broke the surface. He had joined to Dranzer instantly, and as a result, was being subjected to the sub-zero temperatures currently affecting the fiery phoenix. Struggling to stay in control, unable to shout a command though his chattering teeth, he watched as Dranzer slowly emerged from the water.

"Now, Rekkyt!" Jasmine shrieked, eyes blazing with exhilaration. "Skeletal Inferno!" The Sphinx's razor sharp teeth closed on Dranzer, and a strange orange glow began to pour into the struggling phoenix.

* * *

Kai screamed in agony and stumbled forwards, his breathing harsh and rasping. It felt as though molten lava was being poured into his body, burning and incinerating everything in its path. Perspiration dripped down his forehead, stinging his eyes, as he battled to stay upright.

" _Kai_!

"Stop the battle! This is _inhuman_!" He turned to face his desperately yelling team mates through a haze.

"I - don't - give - up!" he choked out, silencing them, gasping as another wave of pain flooded through him. It felt like he was on fire.

Jasmine grinned cruelly, enjoying Kai's torture. Unnoticed by anyone, Adrian gasped and stared in shock as he beheld her true nature.

"Rekkyt!" she called. "Flame Slash!" The Sphinx drew one paw back and dug its suddenly flaming claws into Dranzer's side.

Kai howled and fell to his knees, clutching at the gaping wound in his side. He felt three ribs break and instantly slowed down his rapid gasps for air. A punctured lung at this stage would be suicide. Literally. He knew that Jasmine would have no qualms about watching him die.

With a shaking hand, he unwound the scarf from around his neck and stuffed it into the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood and give him a few more minutes to think of a way to win. 

_Let's take stock._ he thought dryly. _I can barely breathe, there's a massive hole in my side, and I feel as though someone just replaced my blood with magma. Great._

Hazily, he saw Jasmine grin in triumph and order Rekkyt to slash at him again. He ignored the increased pain as he suddenly saw the answer. The one and only way that he could win this was right in front of him.

Every time that she attacked him, her defences dropped and she became careless. All he needed to do was pull himself together enough to mount a powerful counter-attack, and victory was assured.

With an incredible effort, he pulled himself into a standing position. The world was dim and hazy, and tipping like a boat, but he could see just enough of it to…just enough to launch the…counter attack.

Gathering all of his remaining strength, he raised a trembling hand until it was pointing directly at the two bit-beasts. At that exact second, Jasmine ordered Rekkyt to bite Dranzer's leg. There was a sickening cracking sound, and Kai's final command rent the air.

" _Dranzer! Maximum Flame Sabre!_ " The dish disappeared in a blinding flash of light.

* * *

"Can you see anything, Brad?"

"Nope, but there'd better be medics on standby, 'cause Kai is gonna need 'em!"

"Do you think Jasmine's won?"

"I haven't got a clue. Wait, the light's fading!" Jasmine was red-faced and panting, her eye blazing with fury as she stared into the dish at something only she could see. A unanimous gasp sucked the oxygen out of the air as the watching crowd caught sight of Kai's crumpled, bloodied body. "Well, fans, it looks we have a winner - "

"Use…your…eyes, idiots!" Kai raised himself slowly up onto his elbows and pointed unsteadily. "I…don't…lose." His head dropped back to the floor as he passed out at last. Everyone craned their necks as the light and smoke faded completely away. Rekkyt was lying motionless on the ice, while Dranzer was still spinning, slowly and unsteadily, but still going. As they watched, the blue beyblade ground to a halt and toppled over to its side.

"What a shock! Ladies and gentlemen, the score is now tied at one apiece!" Medics ran into the stadium and bent over Kai's unconscious form, hurriedly loading the boy onto a stretcher. Tyson, Max and Kenny ran up to their leader, their faces white and tense. Kai's hand reached out and fastened feebly on Tyson's jacket.

"Tyson…" Crimson eyes fought to stay open.

"Yeah, Kai? What is it?"

"When you…fight…Ray…don't…don't…hold back on him. Don't...fight Ray…fight Adrian. G-good luck…" The feeble grip loosened and Kai's hand fell limply by his side.

"Excuse us boys, he needs to get to hospital immediately." Pushed out of the way, the pitiful remainder of the Bladebreakers turned their attention to the dish.

"Tyson?" Kenny pushed Tyson forwards, trembling. "Tyson, it's you now." With a flinty look in his eyes, Tyson walked up to the dish, grasping Dragoon tightly in his hand.

"Come on then, scum." he spat, glaring down at Adrian. What's the matter? Nerves got the better of you? Not surprised, I always was better than you." A defiant light lit in Adrian's pain-glazed eyes and he moved to his position. "You wanna forfeit now? You couldn't beat a half-empty bowl of custard, the state you're in." Hatred twisted Adrian's handsome features.

"A bit of a headache won't stop me from beating you, Tyson." he snarled, a little colour coming back to his grey face.

"Try me, _Adrian_." Tyson's voice was trembling with anger. Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, I will."

"On my mark! Three…two…one…"

"Let it rip!" Tyson yelled, launching Dragoon viciously. Adrian followed in deadly silence. The two blades hit the dish and began circling warily.

"The tiger's on the prowl, Tyson." Adrian whispered. Tyson gave him a rude gesture in response and sent Dragoon flying into Driger.

"This familiar, Ray?" he asked loudly. "That's your name, and don't you dare forget it! What _is_ this? Some elaborate revenge plan to get back at me for calling you a - "

"Shut up!" Adrian hissed wildly. Driger careered into Dragoon with a crash.

"He's losing control." Kenny whispered, staring at Dizzi's data. "But… why?"

* * *

"The truth hurts, does it, Ray? Good! Do you even remember who you are anymore? You're Ray, not _Adrian_." Dragoon dodged Driger contemptuously. "These aren't your moves, Ray! I want a battle with Ray, not whatever alter-ego you want to cook up to get revenge!"

"Shut the hell up!" Adrian screamed, falling to his knees as a blinding pain lanced through his head. "Go, Driger! _Destroy him_!" Memories were flashing through his throbbing head, distracting him from the battle. Every strike, a throb, every throb, another memory.

_"I'll do what I want, and the rest of you can just…go to hell!"_

The sound of metal on metal.

"Fight me like a blader, Ray! Don't cower down! You're better than that!"

_"Put your heel down first…"_

Driger's roar of pain as Dragoon burst out of the beyblade and clawed at him.

 _"Just try it, you selfish jerk!"_ Adrian tried to stand and fell full length, sobbing as the pressure in his head intensified beyond bearing. It felt as though his head was about to burst.

_"Ray, see sense!"_

_"What do you care?"_

_"You are an empty shell. You have no identity."_

_"Who are you?"_

"Ray! I haven't been training this long to lose to my own team mate! Show me what you've got, Ray!"

_"I said; **who are you**?"_

" _Who are you?"_

_"Ray!"_

_"Who are you?"_

_"Ray."_

"Who do you think you are, Ray? You'll never beat me like this!"

_"Who do you think you are?"_

"Ray…" the boy murmured. A light flashed in his half-open eyes. "I am…Ray…and you're going down, Tyson!" He staggered upright.

Through the pain in his head, he looked in satisfaction at Tyson's shocked expression.

" _DRIGER! ULTIMATE TIGER CLAW ATTACK_!" Power blasted from the white tiger, who raised his head and roared in triumph and delight. The last thing that the boy saw before darkness overtook him was his beloved beyblade landing by his feet. He surrendered to painless oblivion with one, final thought.

_I…am…Ray…_

Face carefully blank, Tyson caught Dragoon as it soared back to him. He ran over to the crumpled form of his team mate and hugged him gently, pulling away to let the medics through.

"Glad you're back, Ray." he whispered, watching his team mate's serene face. A slow grin spread across his face and he turned to bask in the glory of becoming World Champion.

* * *

The boy stirred. His eyelids fluttered open. He seemed to be in a hospital. _No, not again..._

"Hello, young man. Can you tell me your name, please?" a friendly voice asked. The boy smiled slightly and spoke with utmost confidence.

"My name is Ray."


End file.
